Spa Business issue 2 2012 - Leisure Opportunities

CASE STUDY
The SuperBetter online wellness game launched in March and in the first two months 20,000 users had registered – most were females aged 20-50
Spas could use game elements – like tracking progress – to make clients feel like
every visit is a step towards a serious and tangible improvement in their lives
Chelsea Howe,
director of design,
SuperBetter Labs
G
ame designer Jane McGonigal came
up with the idea for SuperBetter
when she found herself struggling to
recover from severe concussion. It’s about
helping players to achieve health and wellness
goals – most commonly weight loss,
healthier eating, regular exercise, stress
reduction and better sleep – in their real
lives and not just in a virtual world.
It draws on core online gaming mechanisms
– social involvement,
overcoming obstacles, feedback
and tracking progress
– to help players achieve their
goals. They recruit allies, complete
quests (steps to help
them achieve goals), battle
bad guys (things standing in their way), and
activate power ups (boosts to keep them
motivated). The game was designed to
increase players’ resilience – their ability to
stay optimistic, curious and energised in the
face of challenges – and McGonigal thinks
spa consumers would find this attractive.
The game launched on 9 March and had
20,000 users in the first two months. It
SuperBetter could help
spas customise their
services once a client
leaves, says Howe
Chelsea Howe
currently has slightly more
female players than male,
mostly aged 20-50.
Spas can use Super-
Better as an additional
resource for clients who
are looking to achieve personal health or
wellness goals. Operators can also create
their own Power Pack to complement their
brand, product philosophy and approach to
health and wellness. Alternatively, Super-
Better Labs has developed Power Packs
that blend in-game content, scientific
research and expert advice from leading
doctors, psychologists and researchers.
In the past, a customer might leave a
spa with recommendations to improve their
daily lives. However, games like –ensure
that these recommendations won’t get lost
or forgotten.
Right now, most people play games in
brief spurts throughout the day: online or
on their phones. Most spas have few –
if any – offerings that are accessible on
the go and take less than five minutes.
By integrating games into their repertoire
– to induce feelings of relaxation, comfort,
serenity and confidence, just like spa
services do – spas can integrate their programmes
into client’s lives even after they
leave the building.
In addition, spas could use elements of
games – like tracking progress towards a
bigger goal or giving clear feedback – to
make clients feel like every visit is a step
towards a serious and tangible improvement
in their lives. Instead of just arriving for a
treatments, clients would feel like they’re
starting a journey towards a lifestyle that is
more mindful, stress free and focused.
Howe has headed up the design of
SuperBetter for the past 10 months
and has just received the 2012 Rising
Star Award from Women in Gaming.
Details: www.superbetterlabs.com
SPA BUSINESS 2 2012 © Cybertrek 2012 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.com / digital 83